The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)
- Directed by
- Penelope Spheeris
- Genre
- music documentary film
- Country
- United States
- Runtime
- 1h 40m
- Rated
- NR
- Rating
- 7.2 of 10 from 114 voters
- Elsewhere
- IMDb
The catalogue in 3D
The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.
How it feels
This documentary captures the late 1970s Los Angeles punk rock scene through concert footage and interviews with bands and fans. It shows the music, the lifestyle, and the tensions with local authorities.
rawchaoticenergeticgrittyobservationalconfrontationalunpolishedintense
What happens
The Decline of Western Civilization is a 1981 American documentary filmed through 1979 and 1980. The movie is about the Los Angeles punk rock scene and was directed by Penelope Spheeris. In 1981, the Los Angeles Police Department chief Daryl Gates wrote a letter demanding the film not be shown again in the city. The film is the opening act of a trilogy by Spheeris, depicting music scenes in Los Angeles in the late 20th century. The second film, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988), covers the Los Angeles heavy metal scene of 1987–1988. The third film, The Decline of Western Civilization Part III (1998), chronicles the gutter punk lifestyle of homeless teenagers in 1996–1997. In 2016, The Decline of Western Civilization was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)
More like this
D.O.A.: A Rite of Passage (1980)
Mas alla de los Gritos
Women in Rock (1980)
The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988)
The Blank Generation (1976)
Punk: Attitude (2005)
LA 92 (2017)
X: The Unheard Music (1986)- More like this film, on a shelf you can walk up to.It's the lit case on the top shelf.